


Passing the Minutes

by SalazarTipton



Series: It's Never Easy [4]
Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: Fluff without Plot, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Short One Shot, set on the cape rouge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 17:38:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14025279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalazarTipton/pseuds/SalazarTipton
Summary: Audrey forces Nathan to take his day off and he knows just the place to go.





	Passing the Minutes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [softmagnusbane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/softmagnusbane/gifts).



> Jay!!!! Happy birthday bby! <3 I hope you're day is amazing and full of lots of Nuke feels ;)

Nathan steps up onto the Cape Rouge trying not to make any sound. Aufrey this morning told him that if he came into work, she’d shoot him because it’s his day off and he hasn’t actually taken any time for weeks, even if he was technically off the clock. 

 

Duke has no clue he’s coming. Nathan expects Duke to be working on some “business deal” or too busy with the Gull for a lazy day together. Instead, he finds Duke standing in his boxers, slippers, and favorite cardigan in front of a crate with his back to him. Steam is billowing out from a cup of tea beside his chair where the newspaper is laying, half open. 

 

He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Duke look so relaxed and normal. While Nathan adores Duke’s eccentricities and cultured soul, seeing him look like such a freaking Mainer standing out in the morning fog shoots a tingling spark into Nathan’s heart. Duke shifts his weight, revealing he’s bent down whispering to his tomato plant. Nathan nearly trips. 

 

Thankfully, Duke doesn’t turn at his blunder. Nathan creeps up with as much stealth as he can muster, wrapping his arms around Duke’s middle and places a quick kiss on his neck. Duke leans back against him and intertwines their fingers.

 

“You knew I was here the whole time, didn’t you?” Nathan asks, peering over Duke’s shoulder at the little green tomatoes hanging tightly to the plant’s stem. 

 

“Yeah, but you trying to get the drop on me is sorta cute,” Duke admits with a bright smile. 

 

They stand there together in silence, watching the fog roll over the harbor. Duke’s warm against Nathan, although he can’t feel it for himself aside from the mental awareness that his muscles are relaxing. Duke twists in his arms to face him, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. 

 

“Do you want to water this baby or go heat up my tea?” Duke asks. 

 

Nathan rolls his eyes and let’s their moment slip away. 

 

“I’ll water your damn tomato.”

 

“And I’ll make you some coffee.”

 

Duke snakes his hand down to slap Nathan on his ass playfully with just enough force to jostle him so Nathan knows what he did. He kisses him fast and hard before pulling away to grab his tea from the deck. Nathan rolls his eyes at him, but there’s no mistaking the contentment in his expression. 

 

He watches Duke disappear below decks and breathes in the salty air. This is much better than going over files in his office, waiting for the next Trouble to pop up with some tradedity beside it. He won’t tell Audrey, but he’s thankful that she forced him out for the day. She’d never let him live it down, especially since Nathan and Duke haven’t exactly told anyone about their relationship yet. 

 

They aren’t afraid of people’s responses or anything. While there are some rather  _ traditional people  _ in Haven, no one that matters would have anything negative to say or harbor about them being together. When it came down to it, they just want to enjoy each other’s company in completely selfish ways. 

 

They do have a bet going about when the truth about their relationship does get out: what the Teagues are going to put in the paper. Duke says they’ll make some big thing about their years as star-crossed lovers--the sheriff’s son and the kid from the other side of the tracks. Nathan’s convinced they’d work with Audrey to throw a celebration party and put those events in the Herald instead. Neither of them are in any sort of rush to find out who’s right. 

 

The one thing they agree on is how Audrey is going to take all this. She’ll be upset that they didn’t trust her with it sooner, call herself responsible for making them work their shit out together, and then want details about  _ everything _ . They love her dearly, but she’s nothing if not predictable, when it comes to her friends. 

 

Nathan finds the jug Duke’s been using as a watering can and pours a generous helping on the dry soil. From the movement, a huge whiff of the plant plasters against his nose, strong. He coughs a little. He used to like the distinct smell of tomato plants before his Trouble came back. Now it’s too overwhelming. He’s glad Duke didn’t ask him to water his herbs as well because that much sage and cilantro might make him consider leaving early. 

 

He waits a few minutes up top before deciding to just go down to the galley to one, avoid curious stares of the fishermen going out, and two, have Duke alone and all to himself. The door is open just a crack when he steps off the ladder. He pushes it open and drops his jaw to the floor. 

 

Duke’s tea and a french press full of coffee are waiting on the counter while, on the other side of the room, Duke is lounging on one of the benches wearing nothing. He smiles, cocky at Nathan with a mischievous glimmer in his eye. 

 

“Your coffee still needs a few minutes to cool,” he says as if that explains himself. 

 

Nathan clears his throat, rubbing a quick hand down his face. “And I’m guessing you have an idea of how to make the minutes go by a little faster…”

 

Tomorrow, Nathan is going to give Audrey something--a fruit basket, cupcakes, who knows, but definitely something to thank her for today. Now, however, he has far more important things to concern himself with than how to thank his partner. 

**Author's Note:**

> please let me know what you think! i'd love to hear your thoughts. 
> 
> i'm always taking prompts over on my [peachstiles](http://bialiencowboy.tumblr.com/).


End file.
